mounting tiles

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question from any objects experts ... We have two sets of 5 art nouveau high-glazed 5" tiles that form two beautiful vertical panels of a thistles.
They are in rough shape, as if chipped out of an old fireplace surround. They cost the customer around 500. for the two groupings. they have been damaged with a few screw holes and a chips. While one time fairly precious, their condition makes them not worthy of sending to a conservator, coating the back with a special acrylic and epoxying by them for 1,500.
We are framing in two matching lovely ray-flake oak handmade molding to match an old turn of the century heavily ray flaked oak fireplace surround. The tiles will be flush with the face of the molding. in other words, not tucked under the lip of the rabbit. We were going to silicone these tiles to the backing board as they sit, stacked, one on top of the other, with frame fitting tightly around them, but the conservation center recommended apoxy which in some ways makes us a bit nervous without coating the back of the tile with a non porous substance as they would. The conservator says the silicone will give way, hmmm--- and if it does--crash. They seem rather weighty. Larsson tech support for back up opinion says use the silicone as we first had intended, as it does not react and is reversible. Remembering there is no lip of the frame to hold them in place--- just an edge up against them, what would you do? The customer votes for apoxy and does not want to spend the added money to have our conservator coat the back and do it at the center. the more opinions the better--- highly appreciated.
 
I would not use silicone for mounting the tiles as it will, in time, let the tiles slip off the mounting board. If you don't want to use two part epoxy to hold the tiles then use tile mastic or tile adhesive, just the stuff you would use if you were tiling your floor. Talk to the tile/flooring experts in your area to get the appropriate adhesive.
 
...back up opinion says use the silicone as we first had intended, as it does not react and is reversible
Click to expand...
Twice wrong, probably. Silicone is chemically reactive and not reversible. That said, the chemical reactivity may not be an issue with a glazed ceramic tile. Silicone residue forever on the back of the tile also may not be an issue.

But there's still that fall-off-the-board-and-break thing. If preservation is out of the question, epoxy would probably be the better adhesive.
 
I would stay away from the silicone for the reasons that Jim stated. I think the epoxy is way more aggressive than needed if someone should ever want to remove them. I would suggest using thin set or premixed vinyl tile adhesive. It is designed to hold tiles in the first place and would be easier to remove than epoxy if that were an issue down the road. Your backer-board would either needed to be plywood or better yet cement backer-board. All supplies would be available at your home center.
 
I'm with the "Why reinvent the wheel" group. Hardi-board and tile mastic, both designed specifically for tiling a vertical surface.
 
"ThinSet will do the job nicely."

Thanks Jerry. My one brain cell couldn't come up with the name and I just used some to reset some tiles in my bathroom. Gosh, I'm hating getting old and forgetful.
 
We print tiles from photos so my husband the unhandy man glued a mural to plywood using silicone for a display. In a couple of days we hear a screech from the front of the store. They slid right off!!
Luckily they didn't hit anyone
 
What you are mounting them to is just as important as what you are adhering them with.

I agree that Hardi-backer is easy to use and the best substrate. I would stay away from plywood. While thin set will definately work, you will also need a notched trowel of the appropriate size and it is "messy" to work with. If you do go that route, since you are doing such a small area, buy premixed adhesive.

If I were doing it, I would use a tube of Polyseamseal. It is cleaner, flexible, and for what you are doing easier to use. It looks like caulk, but it is a completely different type of adhesive, much more flexible and is intended for your application.

http://www.polyseamseal.com/pdf/tech_all-purpose.pdf
 
wow~ thanks for all of this--- excellent suggestion!!! I will print them all out tomorrow.
i did have a discussion with my framer upon chatting with Williamstown Conservation Center in williamstwon MA. We send a lot of work to them to conserve if my local gal cannot do it. I had an apoxy engineer who worked all his life as a chemist for a company who manufactured epoxy--- what a fluke! He told me it worked best on porous surfaces to use it. I also called Dard Hunter the lll from Dard Hunter Press (he is the great grandson of the famous Dard Hunter, turn of last century designer and publisher) They make his granddad's designed tiles and frame in vertical panels but always frame them so the lip covers the edges. He uses epoxy when using one tile and the lip butts to the edge of tile.
I am no longer concerned with the client ever wanting to take them apart or out of the frame--- they aren't in good enough shape to ever do that, for one, and secondly he will flank on either side of a fireplace and flush so the backing has to remain thin. I cannot thank you enough for your suggestions---they were so helpful! - Raechel and Kate
 
Here's something I can actually respond to with a bit of knowledge. My home job, outside of framing, is painting tiles. I frame hundreds of tiles to sell at art shows and also frame tiles for tile artists. Go to a tile shop and get tile mastic. It's made for this, and it holds. Are you going to grout the tiles in place? Lot of colors available. There are premixed grouts that I'm told work well for small projects. The frames I use have a reverse rabbet so the tile sits flush to the top of the frame with a plywood backing board to glue to.
 
Something I've used many times over the years is Goop. While it is definitely not archieval, it bonds extremely well to almost any surface. I've even used it to attach hangers to a glass pane for hanging framed art.
 
the last grouping(12-7" tile street scene) I did was with construction adhesive(liquid nails-ish stuff) that was ok for moisture onto marine ply--was to be hung outside in a breezeway adjacent to a pool. Just butter the backs, press in place with a slight sliding movement, and weight them in place over the weekend---they will NOT go anywhere, anytime in your lifetime.
 
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